Born 68 Years Ago Today in Georgia, the Country Music Hall of Famer Who Helped Revive the Genre With a String of 90s Classics

Alan Jackson, born in Georgia on 17 October 1958, became one of the leading figures in country music’s traditionalist revival during the 1990s. His success helped bring traditional instrumentation and songwriting back to the charts, alongside artists including Randy Travis, George Strait and Clint Black.

Jackson moved to Nashville in 1985 and became the first artist signed to Arista Nashville. His debut single came out in 1989; “Here in the Real World” reached No. 3, and he went on to score 51 top 10 country hits and 26 No. 1s. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and is one of four songwriters to have written and recorded 20 No. 1 singles.